And the answer should be clear and concise: quality gives you value and beauty.  In the case of gems this should be of real importance, because these products must keep their beauty and their value in 5 or 10 or 200 years.  A gem that loses its beauty also loses its value

How can we measure pearl quality?  That is a very interesting question and one we hope to be able to answer in an easy and precise manner.  In the meantime, we will tell you about a critical indicator of pearl quality: nacre thickness and we will see why this indicator is this so important.  But first let us begin this post with a couple of stories…

A Life Investment

Beautiful Hindu Woman wearing a lot of jewelry

For millennia, human beings have purchased precious stones and metals, as well as jewelry and ornaments – made with these materials- for their personal use and enjoyment.  Jewelry items are not only used as adornments or to establish “status” amongst people; they can also serve as a manner of “safe-guard” in moments of crisis.  As an example, in many countries women adorn themselves with lots of jewelry and this can be of a great advantage at times: imagine that at moments of social unrest or economic struggle, that a family has to flee for their lives, keeping only what the family is wearing? Of course, you may own a pair of fancy tennis shoes, but that will not be enough to feed the family or pay a ransom, but your mother’s jewelry may be enough to help the family get on its feet again.  Of course there’s also the question of quality: it would be better to possess a single high-quality –valuable- item, than 20 kilos of costume jewelry (it will not even allow you to run faster). Under this logic let us examine a relatively well documented case.

On October 1917 -during the Russian revolution- the new Bolshevik government began arresting all Russian nobility. This meant that the aristocrats fled their country, leaving behind their palaces, land, clothes and furniture, keeping with them only those items which had great value and were easily carried and hidden.  Amongst these Russian nobleman was Prince Alexander Yousopoff (better known for his part in the assassination of Rasputin) who fled to Paris with some family jewels.  Amongst his most precious treasure he had a pearl necklace (that some assumed had many Sea of Cortez pearls, due to the voracity Russian nobility had for fine pearls) that might have belonged to his mother, Princess Zenaida Youssopova. During his final stay in France, his economic problems became greater and finally –in 1922- he decided to sell this pearl necklace (it might be the one that appears in his mother’s portrait, although without the famous “La Regente” pearl, also known as “Napoleón’s Pearl”, because this pearl has its own unique story). The sale was done by prestigious jeweler Pierre Cartier, who was able to sell the pearl strand to a rich American heiress at a value of $400,000 U.S. dollars.

Princess Zenaida Yusupova, wearing "La Regente" Pearl and an incredible pearl necklace.

To be honest with you all, this story might have some contradicting leads (which I believe just adds a detectivesque flavor to it) and you may want to dig deeper into the story…just like treasure hunting.  Some -like this reference- lead us to think that the pearl necklace might have originally belonged to Catherine “The Great” of Russia, but the necklace could’ve been part of the Imperial Russian treasury, although it is said but the jewelry was found by the Bolsheviks, hidden within a  wall in one of the imperial palaces of the Romanov dynasty. In order to have a more coherent story we are using the information found in the “Cortez Pearl” website as valid.

Nacre thickness and pearl quality

For us, one of the main attributes to take into consideration is nacre thickness.  To understand what this is all about, we can ask the following question: How much of your pearl is really pearl?  Let us analyze this.

Most marine –or salt-water- cultured pearls are produced by the introduction of a small shell-bead -by means of a special surgery- inside the pearl oyster’s body, and over a length of time –the culture period- the little bead will become coated by millions of thin nacre layers, deposited one over the other (in the likeness of an onion) until the pearl is harvested. Under a short culture period (4 to 8 months) the pearl will have a thin nacre coating, but under a longer culture cycle (18 to 24 months) they will possess an excellent nacre coating.

How can we make sure that we have a good nacre coating on our pearl?  There are several way to find out, amongst these we have:

1. X-Rays: these are used to observe the shell bead within the pearl, and we can also measure the pearl’s nacreous thickness. This is a method that is employed by many pearl producing countries, such as Tahiti.
2. Cutting the pearls in half: we select a sample of pearls that will be cut in half to analyze their nacre thickness. This is the best method to determine nacre thickness…but it might be a bit destructive for most people.
3. Inspection of the drill hole: this is a difficult method to use and that will not ensure you of the pearl’s nacre thickness, but it does help to identify pearls with a thin nacre coating.

Additionally, we have indirect methods that may be utilized by  different pearl farmers.  We utilize a simple technique which provides us with very good information regarding nacre thickness: we utilize a group of control oysters in wish we only insert shell beads with a single size.  Thus at the end of the culture period, we can measure the harvested pearls and determine their nacre thickness by means of the size difference between the shell bead and the resulting pearl (if we use a 6 mm shell-bead or nucleus, at the moment of harvest the pearls will at least measure 8.2 mm), but we can also gauge both the maximum and minimum nacre thickness in a given lot of pearls.  Utilizing a combination of these methods we can feel assured of the nacre quality of our cultured pearls.

Harvest 2010- Nacre Thickness

We feel are grateful for this year’s harvest especially with the resultant nacre thickness, which was excellent.  The range we consider typical of a Cortez Pearl is a minimum of 0.8 mm, with an average thickness of 1.2 mm and, in a rare occasions, exceeding 2.2 mm.  With this nacre thickness, Sea of Cortez pearls are just as good –and sometimes better- as most South Sea pearls in the market today.

In the image above you can appreciate the nacre thickness of a group of pearls that was cut in half to evaluate their nacreous coating. Those with a thinner coating (left side) have a thickness of 0.9 mm, the average ones (central portion) measure 1.5 mm and the thicker ones (on the right side) may even reach up to 2.8 mm (in all instances I am just mentioning the thickness on one of the pearl’s sides, as seen in the following photo).

Pearls in Half

Sea of Cortez pearls: Our guarantee

A case of Pearl Leprosy?

A thick nacre coating means that the pearl has what it takes to display good natural luster -thus it will not be necessary to polish it- and for the pearl to have durability -to endure the passage of time- and to become a family heirloom.  On the other hand a pearl with a thin nacre coating will seem dull and unappealing –unless the pearl is polished- lacking real beauty and devoid of orient, it will not be durable and can easily peel and crack.

The pearl we produce is guaranteed for life against natural defects if the pearl suffers any damage (not due to the wearer), then this pearl will be replaced by another one of the same quality for value. In most instances, any damage from the pearl is caused by the wearer such as scratches, damage caused by jewelers, and –sometimes-even being run over by a car, but these are exceptional cases.

If we take into consideration that a thinly coated pearl can have a “useful life” of only a few months to perhaps a couple of years, then a pearl with a value of $10.00 U.S. dollars becomes an expensive product:

• $10.00 divided by 8 months = $1.25 per month
• $10.00 divided by 24 months = 42¢ per month

But if the pearl has a thick nacre coating, then it has the potential of a long, useful life, well in the range of hundreds of years; but since this is something really hard to estimate, let us say that with a lifetime guarantee we are at least talking about 80 years. Thus if we have a pearl valued at $1,000 USD we are talking about a good price:

• $1,000 divided by 80 years = $12.50 per year = $1.04 per month

So, you get the idea: quality pearls actually give you more of everything. And, now let us go back to our question of “why should we be interested in a pearl’s quality?” but now analyzing it from the viewpoint of the pearl producer: Why should we invest more time to in order to obtain a higher quality pearl?  What do we receive in exchange? The main thing you obtain is prestige to a proven quality and second: it’s a matter of personal pride (you can actually feel good about what you are doing).

Investing in quality is well worth it.  In the future, we will continue to talk about other aspects of pearl quality.

]]> http://www.perlas.com.mx/blog/?feed=rss2&p=290 0 http://www.perlas.com.mx/blog/?p=275 http://www.perlas.com.mx/blog/?p=275#comments Fri, 27 Aug 2010 20:13:25 +0000 admin http://www.perlas.com.mx/blog/?p=275 Making a small stop in our discussion about methodologies to identify between fake/imitation pearls and genuine pearls, we’re going into a more “historic mood”. We recently had a lively discussion with some friends about the name of our beautiful sea: the world-famous “Gulf of California” or “Sea of Cortez”.” Thus, we believed that this information would also be of interest to others who enjoy a more historical theme and because this year -2010- we celebrate the Mexico’s Bicentennial, which makes it all the more appropriate. If you want to be part of this debate, do take some time to place your comments.

Where do we get the name of “Sea of Cortez”?

The answer is almost obvious, although there are those who want to “forget” that Mexico is a country that resulted from being conquered by Spain about 500 years ago. This conquest was military and cultural, and gave origin to the country we now know as “Mexico” (although it is officially called “Estados Unidos Mexicanos” or “United Mexican States”) and the reason to why the official language is “Spanish” (or “Castillian”), the dominant religion is Roman Catholic and our “race” (or “races” some would say) and culture, including our renowned cuisine, is of “mixed-ancestry”: a multi-regional fusion of races and cultures. The name of “Sea of Cortez” then, pays honor to the Conqueror of Mexico, Don Hernán Cortés, a man very much interested in expanding the borders of the Kingdom of new Spain and exploit its newfound wealth, including its “black pearls”.

“Official” versus “Popular” Names

Now, the debate arose because some feel that this name – “Sea of Cortez” – is not official and therefore must not be used or even be “remembered”, that it should be “wiped out” into oblivion. Our answer would be the following: we (Mexicans) have an Official Country Name: “Estados Unidos Mexicanos” which is used before international organizations (such as: the United Nations (UN), UNEP, FAO, OAS, etc.) and even in a few federal institutions (such as INEGI), but we also have a common use or “Popular Name“, the latter being the one in the heart-and-minds of the common folk. Popular names are the ones meant to be savoured when used.

For us, it really would be the same case as in the use of “Mexico” and “Sea of Cortez”. There is really no reason to exclude one name over the other… both name can be used and they are in no way mutually exclusive. Thus it is almost impossible to imagine celebrating one of our National Holidays (such as “16 de Septiembre” or “20 de Noviembre”) to the cry of “¡Vivan los Estados Unidos Mexicanos!” (“Long Live the United Mexican States!”) instead of the most widely used “Viva Mexico!” (“Long Live Mexico!”).

Verifying the name of “Sea of Cortez”

This was the most heated debate point because it should focus on historical references on the use of the name of this area, and there are many references to varied names used by a large number of historical figures who visited this region during its exploration. Amongst these different names, we find some that specifically point to certain areas within the Gulf of California and do not make reference to this geographical area in general (the Gulf). Just to mention a few: “California” (which refers to the peninsula with the same name), “Calafia” (in reference to a mythical Queen of the exploits of “The Sergas de Esplandián“) and even other less popular as “Sea of Anian” (in reference to a mythical “ Strait of Anian“) and “Island of Pearls” (a very popular name for many great pearl producing areas). Under this frame of mind, another very appropriate name should also be that of “Sea of Seas” (using as reference the name of “Port of Ports” given to the Bay of Guaymas by Francisco de Ulloa in 1539). Which of these –then- is the most appropriate reference?

The answer cannot come neither from myths or tales… these were all necessary to inspire the “Conquistadors” unto action, but our references should have greater solidity. Who in New Spain had the skills to write down and record important events and references? Would the Spanish “soldadesca” (grunt soldiers) have these abilities? Probably the most robust and strong references would be found within religious missionaries (mainly Jesuits) and the public notaries that accompanied the conquering armies of Spain.

We therefore present an indisputable historical reference: a document written by the Jesuit priest Miguel Venegas, originally written in 1739 (although published in Madrid until the year 1752). This manuscript consists of 5 volumes and is entitled “News of the California and their temporal and spiritual conquest to the present time” and in volume 1 it records the following reference to this geographical area in general:

“The old discoverers called it “Vermillion Sea” and “Red Sea” because of the similarity of its figure and some color or appearance of its waters… they named it also “Sea of Cortez” in gracing the commitment with which the Conqueror of the Mexican Empire sought to advance through the glories of his conquests”

Thus we have reliable evidence on the name of this beautiful Mexican sea: “Vermillion Sea” or “Sea of Cortez”, and we can avoid any review of cartographic maps made by Europeans who –very likely- never visited this region (as it would be the case of Frederick de Wit, a famous Dutch cartographer who made the famous map indicating the mythical “Strait of Anian”).

Conclusions

You can use both names to suit your taste or preference, if you are doing any sort of “official work”, then by all means employ the name of “Gulf of California”, but you may use the name “Sea of Cortez” to your heart’s content, especially  when you feel your heart’s beat increase when you contemplate a majestic sunset in Bacochibampo Bay, Guaymas, or when you enjoy a leisure stroll on the beautiful waterfront of La Paz, or when you gaze at the mystic beauty of Mexico’s largest Island: “Isla Tiburón” or when you simply enjoy a refreshing dip in “Rocky Point” (Puerto Peñasco)… no matter what part of the Gulf you’re in, you will always find a place for the “Sea of Cortez” within your heart.

Additional Note: We were also questioned about our pearls’ trade-name: why did we call them “Sea of Cortez Pearls”??? The answer: it was important for us that every single one of our pearls to have their historic legacy in their name; just as a child receives a name from its parents.

For us it was simply not dignified to brand them under a typical commercial name (they actually could have ended with a name like “Perliva“… a “Pearly Diva”) like any other mass manufactured product. We believe in our Pearl and we regard it as a true heir to the pearling heritage of Mexico, and we are proud to be able to produce limited quantities of these beautiful gems in Guaymas, Sonora, right in the heart of the Sea of Cortez…

I now invite you to make a small -5 minute- video- about the history of the “Sea of Cortez Pearl”… until next time…

A New Option: The Pearl’s Drill-Hole

For those who have followed us through the pearl identification tests (e.g., the “Fire Test” or the “Water Test”) we will have a new option for you: the “Pearl’s Drill-hole Examination“. This method can be used mainly on pearls that have been drilled for their use in jewelry, so if the pearl has not been drilled yet we cannot use this method. On the other hand, imitation pearls always have their drill holes when sold (I have yet to find an imitation without a drill-hole, although I am certain they can manufacture them) so this in itself might be an indicator of the kind of pearl you have. A possible complication to this identification method might be the type of jewelry setting affixed to the pearl: some metal settings will not allow us to inspect the pearl’s drill hole.

How does this method work? Most of the false or imitation pearls contain some type of plastic (they are either wholly made of plastic or they have it on their outside), and fortunately for us this material has a very different behavior from nacre (the material pearls are made of), so this behavior is visually evident (in most cases) and allows us to distinguish between a true pearl and an imitation pearl. As an example, we have the photo of a mother-of-pearl button:

As you can see, the drill-hole on the button is very “clean”: it does not have any “swirls” or “flakes” or “burrs” (due to their similarity with metal shavings). We just have a “perfect drill-hole”: clean and straight. Let us now examine the drill-hole of a fake pearl…

Comparing drill-holes: true pearl vs. imitation pearl

Depending on the type of imitation, each type display different characteristics in their holes: with “swirls” being more prevalent in the more plastic-like fakes, or with a “big & bulgy” hole in the “Shell Pearl” brand, or with a very good drill-hole –similar to that of real pearls- in the “Majorica ” or “Mallorca” brand imitation pearls. In the latter case, the hole in the fake pearl is more like that of a pearl because the core of these imitations is made of glass or mother-of-pearl shell. Still, it is quite possible to see some “burr” around the drill-hole, the paint coming off in peels, especially when new.

Drill-Holes of various types of fake pearls. Top: 2 “Mallorca” pearls. Center: Philippine SSP imitation pearl and a “Shell pearl” black pearl imitation. Below: Australian SSP imitation “Pearl shell”.

Analyzing Pearl Jewelry:

The gold setting on this pearl does not allow us to examine its drill-hole.

In most cases pearls will be set on jewelry, either mounted on metal or wire- and we will want to apply this method to identify the pearl. Sometimes the metal setting will not allow us see the drill-hole, so the identification of the piece must be done using the “water test”, the “fire test” (we have covered both methods on this blog) or other methods that will be discussed in future posts.

In the case of bracelets, necklaces or strings of pearls, examination of the drill-hole is possible by applying pressure between the pearls on the string -in order to separate them- and being able to see their drill-holes (using a magnifying glass or lens, if necessary.) Finding knots between pearls can be a very good indicator of a pearl’s authenticity. Why? The knots are there in order to help you avoid losing your pearls in the event of the necklace/bracelet snaps or breaks… since the value of imitations is very low (when compared to high quality pearls), producers of fashion-jewelry save money by avoiding these knots in their items.

Colorful Mexican baroque pearl necklace: you can appreciate the knots between the pearls as well as some of the drill-holes.

Unfortunately, many freshwater pearl necklaces and bracelets do not have knots between their pearls, and this not because they are not “genuine pearls,” but because their value and quality does not make them worthy using knots. So, whenever possible, do examine the pearl’s drill-hole.

A string of "Mallorca Pearls” where you can see that there are no knots between the so-called-pearls and you can also notice some plastic shavings or “burrs” around the drill hole.

In our next installment we will discuss how to distinguish pearls using their external appearance, especially their color and texture.

So for this test use another natural element but now opposite to the one used previously, now we use WATER. Unlike the “Fire Test” -which is very fun when used on fake pearls- the “Water Test” is not destructive, but it may have an aesthetic value when using it on the “appropriate” pearls. To understand what I’m talking about we first need to see some pictures and then talk about some arcane terms known by the names of “ORIENT” and “OVERTONES”.

Orient & Overtones on Pearls.

There  was much talk about a pearl’s “orient” some decades ago. If you read the discussions of many “connoisseurs”, they would usually talk about the unusual and beautiful appearance of a pearl’s “Orient” but for most of these “experts” it was difficult to explain -in an easily understood manner- this unique trait of pearls. So let us begin to demystify this beautiful visual attribute of pearls … first with the concept of Orient:

Orient:A remarkable phenomenon produced by light being reflected and refracted by the pearl layers, which produces an inner glow. The finer the pearl layer (aragonite crystal), the better the orient of the pearl. (Source)

Or this one as well, which actually confuses two different traits (luster and orient):

The Iridescence of pearls is called “luster” or “Orient”. Pearls show this glamorous play of colours in delicate nuances due to the bow in their surface, enabling us to perceive their brilliance from every angle. The interaction of light rays and surface creates the iridescence, the so called ‘surface colour’ visible as a small circle on the pearl’s outer layer of nacre. The luster depends on the thickness of nacre, numerous layers encasing the nucleus. The layers of nacre act like tiny prisms, refracting light, so it appears as all the colours of a rainbow. (Source)

Hard to understand? In both concepts we understand that “orient” is something really special and beautiful but it fails in giving us a clearer understanding. So, we will use the description -that in my opinion is the more colloquial and understandable- from the “Sea of Cortez Pearls” website:

“When this optical  effect manifests itself as a deep “halo effect” (mostly in the colors pink/violet and green/blue), the pearl may display as a series of concentric rings (with the color gradually changing to another one) that go from the pearl’s diameter and into the center. A pearl with such an effect will never be mistaken as a fake-pearl and it is highly coveted.”

A picture is worth a thousand words they say, so let us analyze one with different pearls: Freshwater pearls, faux perles (imitations), akoya pearls, black pearls and pearls from the Gulf of California:

In these pictures we can see that both Black and Mexican pearls have a special sheen that makes it appear as if that they display various colors and that they do not display just one color…as seen on the other pearls. These “color rings” that seem to float on the pearl are known as “overtones” -when seen on dark colored pearls- and as “orient” on light colored pearls. At this time we will not talk about what causes this unique optical effect to manifest, but we will discuss this another time, but we will talk about using this visual attribute to differentiate pearls.

Water Test on Light Colored Pearls.

We used a small white colored plastic container and placed enough tap water into it to cover the pearls. We then moved to an area with good natural light (not necessarily under the sun), then introduced different pearls in the container. What happens? Water acts as an “visual amplifier” of this beautiful effect (orient/overtones) and, additionally, the white container helps to bounce light in an optimal way on the pearl: if the pearl does display orient or overtones then we will see a big difference . On the other hand, if a pearl does not exhibit this desirable effect… it is an imitation pearl -such as a Majorica/Shell-Pearl- or it could also be a real pearl that simply does not have what it takes to display this visual effect.

So here we have an example. We have a group of “white pearls” or light-colored pearls, including the following: a freshwater pearl, a “Mallorca Pearl”, another imitation known as a “Shell Pearl” and we also have a “Cortez Pearl”. Most of these pearls have a “normal pearl” look (“milky white”), except for Mexican pearls which display a beautiful green and pink orient.

Now, we introduce these same pearls in water and the change is significant: both the imitation pearls and the freshwater pearl had no change and are even “whiter”, but the pearls in the Gulf of California display a pair of color rings. Here we see the pearl’s orient easily:

Water Test on Dark Colored Pearls:

On the dark-colored pearls the results are more evident. Among the pearls used (a black pearl, a dyed-black freshwater pearl, a couple of fake pearls and one Mexican pearl) for this demonstration, several were capable of displaying a good visual effect of overtones. But now, let us see the contestants before being “water baptized”:

Now, let us look at the same pearl but inside water …

In the case of both the dyed pearl and the Tahitian black pearl, the overtones make a stronger appearance  than what can be seen on those same pearls with a naked eye. All three imitation pearls are devoid of overtones, but some would be confused with the “Shell Pearl” because in the photo you may see something similar to a ring, but it really is not … overtones are truly a dynamic visual effect that is best seen personally or in a video. Mexican pearls are noted for their overtones: a true visual spectacle.

Comparing light and dark pearls in Water:

This comparison allows you to see the differences between types of pearls. For example, dark pearls have a marked effect and light-colored pearls displayed no “orient”, perhaps because they were bleached and polished … as it is routinely done with these products.

From left to right: Akoya pearl, freshwater pearl, black pearl and dyed freshwater pearl

Imitation or Fake Pearls:

Imitation pearls do not display this desirable visual effect.

Pearls from the Sea of Cortez:

A rich visual delight … the colors have varied overtones with dynamic appearance, something rarely seen in other pearl varieties or only in Gem quality pearls. These “little things”, these “tiny details” are part of what makes this pearl so unique.

The Video.

And as in other occasions, I have prepared another video about this test because this is a visual and dynamic phenomenon. As with most of our videos, I once more used the “Sea of Cortez Pearl Theme” song, but I really wanted to use David Byrne’s “Strange Overtones ” song … but we all know about YouTube’s policies and I am not the one to argue about this, so I propose you use this link to play the song while you play the video and you can enjoy it in a different way.

By the way, the video shows other varieties of pearls not depicted on the blog, so you might find it interesting even if you have read this entire post.

Until the next installment …

A total of 16 people were invited to the “Pearl Ruckus 2010″, an event that was promoted by Jeremy Shepherd, CEO of “Pearl Paradise“, by “Jewelmer” and by “Classical Wines of Spain”. The event included five conferences, as well as several social events where the pampered guests would enjoy fine Spanish wines, exquisite sushi and even indulge in a bit of Whiskey tasting. We were treated like royalty…and as such, pearls adorned all the fair ladies at the event.

Conferences – Saturday 24

Beginning at 10:30 am and ending at around 4 pm, we were fortunate to attend the presentations by the following lecturers:

Blaire Beavers (GemGeek): A comprehensive lecture on “Exotic Pearls”, among which Blair talked about the New Zealand’s Abalone Mabe pearls,  the large orange-colored “Melo-Melo” Conch pearls, the giant pearls of the Tridacna, the beautiful and elusive Nautilus pearls (a relative of “Paul the Octopus“) and, of course, the “Cortez Pearl”. I do have to point out that GemGeek recently visited our farm (last May),but she seemed fascinated by our local fare of regional seafood, and this was quite evident in the presentation, which included pictures of the fish tacos and other delicacies.

Michael Rivers (Mikeyy): Mike’s lecture gave us a very comprehensive, interesting and detailed description of the mother-of-pearl industry of the United States, from the early 20th century to the present; it included pearl mussel fishing methods, the production process of mother of pearl buttons and of the core of most cultured pearls: the little nacre bead. The talk ended with a discussion on the future of this industry.

Renné Newman: This renowned gemologist gave her presentation on the “Zhuji Pearl Market, China” and -much to our delight- she presented the 5th Edition of her famous book “The Pearl Buying Guide“. I must admit that we learned a lot about pearl quality by using the first edition (1992) of this book and that it made us very happy to see several new sections and photographs about our “Sea of Cortez Pearls” in this new edition.

Steve Metzler (smetzler): who has made an incredible effort towards the identification and certification of two types of extremely rare natural pearls: the pearls of the “giant clam” (Tridacna) and those of the cephalopod Nautilus. This research is carried out by specialists from Spain (Dr. Checa & Dr. Cartwright) and we cannot yet disclose information any about it … the information will be published within a few months. Steve’s collection of natural Tridacna and Nautilus pearls is simply unparalleled.

Douglas McLaurin (CortezPearls): Who, as always, was enjoying himself with his presentation about the “History of the Gulf of California Pearl”, with information ranging from the pre-columbian period to the present, including details of the pearl fisheries made by Spanish-Soldier-turned-Millionaire Manuel de Ocio, the farming methods of Don Gaston Vives and the short-lived farm of Don Manuel Lozano Gallo, then easing into the 1990′s research stage and, finally, the commercial aquaculture in Guaymas, Sonora.

Dinner:

What I can say I that I did not mentioned before? We had the most excellent hosts in Jeremy Shepherd and lovely Hisano Takei (who wore a beautiful kimono), we had Sushi chef Hitori Hirata preparing delicious sushi, the best caviar I’ve had, a fine selection of Spanish wines, including a delicious Galician Albariño wine, we had a “Scotch Whiskey Tasting event” with the help of Michael Udhe, and to wrap it all up: the excellent comradeship amongst the guests at this unique event.

I consider myself fortunate to have been invited this year and, God willing, there will be more Mexican Pearls at the 2011 Pearl Ruckus next year …

What makes these necklaces so special? Well, they consist of pearls produced in Mexico’s Gulf of California, a region known worldwide for its pearls, and these are cultured using a limited-production (4 kilos) scheme, these are the only cultured pearls that are produced under the “Fair Trade Gems” standards, the only cultured pearls that are produced using a “winged pearl oyster”: the “Rainbow-Lip Pearl Oyster“  or Pteria sterna, thus they are the rarest cultured pearls produced in the world and they also display a pink-red fluorescence under long wave UV rays, and are some of the very few cultured pearls that do not receive any “embellishing” treatments (physical nor chemical) … there are many more things to say about how special these pearls are, but this is just to lay the basics.

What we now need to do is present these three strings of pearls from the 2010 edition:

Necklace 2010 – A

This one consists of a graduated necklace with a length of 20″ (50.8 cm), made with 49 baroque pearls with a size (diameter) of between 8.0 and 8.7 mm, using “B” grade “Cortez Pearls” (“B” grade means that there are skin imperfections on the pearl and that its luster is not very high), the central pearl measure 8.7 x 9.1 mm . However, with its light gray color, unique shapes and its iridescent pearls makes it a truly exceptional piece. It has a simple yellow 18 K gold brooch.

Pearl Necklace 2010 – B

This is an excellent pearl necklace when you consider its price:benefit. It is a baroque pearl necklace, but these pearls are soft baroques (not by human action), in short, although these pearls are asymmetrical shaped they posses very soft shapes that are almost spherical in appearance, thus they look “round” from a certain distance. It is quite uncommon for our Gulf of California cultured pearls to have a perfectly round shape (the reasons will be explained in a future post), thus our spherical shapes attain a far greater value than that of the most common shape: the asymmetric or baroque shapes-so this necklace achieves a relative low cost with great looks or “more bang for your bucks”.

This graduated multicolored 19″ (48.26 cm) pearl necklace consists of 51 baroque pearls with a size between 8.0 & 8.6 mm (diameter) and made with “A” and “A+” grade pearls (this means very good natural luster and a clean pearl surface) of exceptional colors. The result is a rainbow-like necklace with red, green, blue gray, black and purple pearls … As with the previous necklace, it features a plain 18K yellow gold brooch.

Special Edition “Bicentennial” 2010 Pearl Necklace

This is a truly a unique Cortez Pearl necklace, a piece of jewelry fit for a Queen and truly something that very few can own. We’ve placed this necklace at the same level of delicacy -for want of a better word- as some of our finest necklaces such as “Stella Maris” (2009) and “Bohéme” (2008). The central pearl is a gorgeous purple pearl (11.6 mm) with incredible green overtones (obtained from the 2010 harvest).

This 19″ (48 cm) graduated multi-colored pearl necklace consists of 49 near-round Sea of Cortez Cultured Pearls with sizes between 8.7 and 11.6 mm (diameter),  and was made using the only “A+” and “Gem” grade pearls, featuring the most intensely colored pearls available, the highest natural luster and the best surface (“skin”) purity possible using only non-treated pearls. This necklace does not include a clasp, since the buyer usually acquires a specially made clasp for such a unique piece.

So far we have named this necklace as “Bicentennial” (Mexico turns 200 years old as an Independent country this year) but this name will be changed by the owner: in the purest pearling tradition these unique necklaces are named or are “christened” in the manner of other famous necklaces or Pearls of old. In today’s world, the vast majority of necklaces produced do not even deserve a nickname… but high quality pearls with a limited production are still worthy of this distinction.

Where are the other Cortez Pearl Necklaces?

Since our Bacochibampo Bay farm started producing loose cultured pearls in the year 2000, we have only managed to produce eight special pearl necklaces -with characteristics similar to those of the “Bicentennial” necklace- and we have always wanted for these to remain in Mexico, but this has not always been possible. So where are these necklaces? Here’s the list:

• 3 necklaces in Mexico, including the three most perfect and beautiful: “Stella Maris”, “Bohéme” and “Balandra.”
• 2 in the United States of America (“Maria” and “Isabella”)
• 1 in Italy
• 1 in New Zealand

Understandably, the owners remain anonymous. In the case of “Bohéme” it had the distinction of appearing in the book “Pearls” by gemologists Hubert Bari and David Lam, a book where the authors state (on page 86) the following about the “Sea of Cortez Pearl”: “It is perhaps the most beautiful pearl to have been cultured up to now” (Hubert Bari & David Lam. 2010. Pearls. Skira . Italy. 336 pages).

Where will the “Bicentennial” spend its Time? What will be its final name? That will be known soon …so, stay tuned!

The story -in case you haven’t heard it- goes a bit like this: the Roman General Marc Anthony is seduced by Queen Cleopatra and she wagers that she can offer him the most expensive dinner in the world. Marc Anthony, a man accustomed to Roman Power & Wealth, accepts because he does not believe the Egyptians can equal the excesses of a Roman bacchanalia. So, dinnertime comes and he is greeted by Cleopatra at an almost empty table (perhaps a small platter with dates, grapes and “Ibis wings”). They start with some nice cups filled with splendid Greek wine and finally he has to ask -being a Man, of course- “Where’s the Beef???”. Cleopatra languidly reaches for her earlobe and retrieves her earring, then removes the large natural pearl from it -again, very languidly- and drops the pearl inside her wine cup. She then says “Cheers” and gulps it all down in a noisy slurp-gulp.

At this sight Marc Anthony was probably very impressed -possibly with eyes the size of a Japanese Animé character- and with a dropped jaw. Cleopatra removes her second pearl earring to offer the Roman General his share of the fancy dinner but -in a non languid way- he lays a hand on the cup and tells her: “You have won. You have offered me the most expensive dinner in the World.”. So basically this is the story that has been heard by millions all over the World and throughout history. Some believe it to be 100% accurate, others think it is a very romantic story and others feel it us utter junk. Regardless of your interest in the story what we offer you here are facts: Could this dinner have taken place in the way depicted??? Let us see…

First, the pearls are described as “large” so we would say that the pearls measured at least 12-14 mm in diameter and would have been difficult to swallow (although we certainly don’t have a clue about Cleopatra’s swallowing abilities) and the “Heimlich Maneuver” had not been invented so my guess is: why risk it? Some say the pearl was dissolved in the wine, so the next question would be: How long does it take for a pearl to dissolve in wine? Finally a question about the value of a pearl: we cannot compare the value of today’s pearls to that of pearls in Ancient times, when their worth was so high they could have been used to purchase a entire country or send a full military invasion (you may read the shortened account of General Vitellius and how he sold one of his mother’s pearl earring to start his military campaign here).

So, we devised a small experiment using 3 cultured pearls (all rejects, without commercial value) and 3 different substances: red wine (pH= 3.4), white vinegar (pH=2.4) and dilute Chlorhidric Acid (pH=0). So, let us describe what happened in a period of 24 and 48 hours of the pearls being exposed to these substances).

pH is a system to measure how acid (how corrosive) or how basic is a substance. Each number in the scale represents a ten-fold increase -or decrease- of the intensity or “power” of the substance, thus a pH=1.0 substance is 10 times more acidic than one measuring 2.0. Basically, that is it. So now, let us go into the experiment with pearl #1 into red wine.

Pearl in Wine:

Pearl #1 was a white pearl measuring 8.7 mm in diameter and with a weight of 1 gram. The pearl was placed inside a wine glass with a nice Chilean Merlot (pH=3.4) and…nothing happened. We could not see any activity on the pearl. After 48 hours the pearl measured and weighed the same, and once it was cleaned we could observe some small pock-marks on the pearl. This means that wine has little power to damage a pearl, thus I don’t believe wine could have been used to dissolve the pearl in time for dinner (after all: they had an Empire to build).

Pearl in Vinegar

Pearl #2 was a dark-purple pearl measuring 8.4 mm and with a weight of 0.6 grams and was introduced into white vinegar (pH=2.4) for 24 hours. The pearl was immediately attacked by Vinegar’s acetic acid and we could see many small bubbles forming on top of the pearl: CO2 (carbon dioxide) that is released when an acid substance attacks the pearl’s Aragonite crystals. The results were conclusive: the pearl lost some weight and became smaller: 7.8 mm and 0.5 grams. The pearl formed a very weird looking “cocoon” on its surface, that basically made it look like it had been “bubble-wrapped”. This cocoon or sac is basically made of conchiolin, a protein employed by the oyster to bind the tiny hexagonal shaped aragonite crystals and form the pearl. Once the mineral is removed from a layer, the protein will float in a ghost-like manner around its pearl.

After 24 hours the pearl’s appearance changed dramatically, exposing a large protein based area, the surface became deeply affected and even the color changed! (to a more green color). After 48 hours damage was more profound but the vinegar’s power had been spent. Adding fresh vinegar to the cup ensured the total destruction of the pearl after 72 hours, when we finally reached the pearl’s nucleus.

Pearl in Acid

This test only has a scientific purpose, since it is unbelievable that Cleopatra & Marc Anthony would have used acid to dissolve the pearl and then drink it…at the risk of first loosing their teeth and then their lives. Also, Hydrochloric acid (pH=0) had not been invented in Ancient times, so it was not an option. What we wanted to find out with this experiment is: How long does it take for a pearl to dissolve in a strong acid???

Results: the pearl for this experiment (#3) was a beautiful oval shaped pearl measuring 7.7 mm and with a weight of 0.6 grams. After 24 hours, the pearl was severely damaged -its surface appearing like the walls of certain areas of the “Grand Canyon”- and it lost much of its size ( 7.0 mm) and weight (0.5 grams). After 48 hours the pearl’s destruction was complete.

Some things to notice about this experiment are: as soon as the pearl touches the acid, the attack is noticeable by the intense bubbling effect (just as with vinegar). After 24 hours we were able of noticing the same “protein sac/cocoon” that was seen in vinegar, but the bubbles were larger. After 48 hours, the pearl had been dissolved but we could still see the little “cocoon”, but now floating on the surface…having lost its weight. Once extracted from the acid we extracted the remains of the pearl: basically a dark colored protein…

So, now I invite you all to watch a 5 minute video of these little experiments. I wish to take this opportunity to thank Jazmin Rangel for playing the part of Cleopatra for our video. I wanted to play the part of Marc Anthony but found not a single “Roman” costume available in my size, but then again…there are many more myths that must be addressed so I will eventually have the chance to play a “Yaqui diver” or “Spanish Conquistador”.

Well, hope you liked the video.  I had fun making it. Did you notice “Cleopatra’s solution” to the “pearl dinner” dilemma???

The Final Solution

What would have been Cleopatra’s solution? She could not wait for the pearl to dissolve in wine nor vinegar, so the obvious solution was to pound and pulverize the pearl and pour the “pearl dust” into the wine, ready to be gulped down and become the “World’s Most Expensive Dinner”.

Thus another “pearl myth” is demystified, but we still have quite a few left… so keep visiting us.

For us, 2007 was an astounding year in Natural Pearl production, whereas 2008 & 2009 were not very productive in yield, but we did find a couple of very exceptional pearls (see “The Virgin’s Pearl” account of this same Blog). This year seems to be more similar to 2007 in pearl yield and quality.

So, before we proceed with the data from this year’s natural pearl harvest, let us watch a short video on natural pearl harvesting (taken from the 2007 natural pearl harvest):

If you paid close attention to the video, you will have noticed that all natural pearls were found inside a thin, semi-translucent membrane that was attached to the oyster’s mantle. This membrane is known as the “pearl sac” and it is where the pearl develops…in the same way a baby would develop inside a womb. A similar “pearl sac” is formed to produce a cultured pearl, but in this case the pearl sac develops inside the oyster’s gonad and due to Human intervention. Thus, when we find a natural pearl it is quite a surprise (similar to when you are told your wife is expecting twins…trust me on this), there is no Human intervention in their production. To notice the differences between the harvest of natural pearls (the video above) and that of cultured pearls you can now watch this other video:

Now that you have seen both videos you can realize how differently these pearls come to see the light of day or are “born unto the world”. Another significant difference between natural and cultured pearls is their size: most naturals we obtain are in a size range between 1 to 7 mm, whereas the smallest cultured pearls we obtain measure 8.3 mm in diameter. But perhaps the most striking difference would be quantity: you always obtain many more cultured pearls than natural pearls.

In a future post we will talk more in detail about how natural pearls are produced: their incidence, what causes them to appear (a grain of sand of course!!! sure…maybe it was a politician that came up with such an answer), but for the moment I just want to post some photos of some of this year’s natural pearls…let us begin!

This “cute” little natural pearl has quite some personality. Measuring 1 cm at its widest, it has the shape of a toon-like tortoise, complete with a little eye.

It is not the prettiest natural pearl we’ve harvested here, but it now belongs into a select group of “unconventional” pearls we’ve found, such as: doves, cats, hearts, aliens (pretty certain it was a so called “Gray“) and the “American Classic”: Mickey Mouse.

The next pearls are much more beautiful, but more “pearl shaped”, and by this I don’t mean “round”. Very few natural pearls we’ve harvested (out of hundreds in our 16+ years of work) have been perfectly round, and those that have this shape are usually very small (less than 2 mm).

Now we have a pair of “good sized” (7 mm diameter) baroque shaped natural pearls, slightly flattened (something quite normal in natural pearls). Their main color is dark so they would be considered “black pearls”…a term that I don’t particularly like because the Gulf of California Pearl is much more colorful. The one to the right has a red-wine coloration (probably Pinot Noir) and the one to the left has a  blue-green-violet coloration.

Now, we have a pair of pearl trios. The first one in sizes around 5 mm in diameter, but I believe they are even more beautiful than the larger ones: truly a case of “Bigger is not necessarily more Beautiful”. And the following trio (in sizes of 3 mm) are even more striking: some pearls even display the much coveted and desired “Fish Eye” effect.

These little pearls have very strong overtones, the one in the center having the most intense “fish eye” effect.

And to wrap it up for today…a beautiful pair of 8 mm natural pearls with very different colors: one is light gray with a strong violet overtone, the other one has a dark electric-blue coloration. One reason why pearls were known as “Unios” in the Latin language of Ancient Romans is because they were clearly unique, distinctive. These natural pearls are truly deserving of such name…but their Gulf of California Cultured Pearl counterparts are just as unique as their famous predecessor…you will not find any “Clonios” around here.

In our next edition: Cortez Keshi Pearls from the 2010 Harvest. See you next week!

All these pearls will be harvested from our Pearl Farm in Bacochibampo Bay, Guaymas, Sonora, México, in the central portion of the Gulf of California or Sea of Cortez. The pearls we produce are exclusively grown in one of our native pearl oysters: the “Rainbow Lipped Pearl Oyster” (Pteria sterna). I want to use this opportunity to clearly state that WE DO NOT PRODUCE pearls using the local “Black Lip Pearl Oyster” (Pinctada mazatlanica), because there are some “experts” that say we do, but we don’t. You can use a nifty UV light to see how our pearls glow pink-red, an attribute of pearls produced from the “Rainbow Lipped Oyster”.

Some interesting facts about this harvest is that we will -apparently- have softer and rounder shapes, with a very thick coating of nacre. As an example: we obtained a 13.7 mm (diameter) pearl, and we know -for sure- that the largest bead employed that day measured 9.5 mm in diameter…thus we know it has a 4.2 mm thick coating, or 2.1 mm per side which is what you would expect out of a good South Sea Pearl.

Colors this year seem to be more on the Lighter side…mostly light grays, but the colorful pearls are very colorful and intense, as you will notice on the photo below:

The next photo displays some of our light colored pearls, but when they have baroque shapes they will display very intense iridescence.

The intense colored pearls are coming out in stunning shapes and with great overtones…

Another one…

Finally, a selection of Gem+ grade pearls: great natural luster (our pearls are NEVER polished), excellent surface (clean, unblemished), intense colors and beautiful overtones…

And this great “Deep Purple” pearl, round, measuring 12 mm in diameter…this one will become the center piece for this year’s pearl necklace.

Finally, the pearl I came to Love from the minute it was plucked out: I christened it as “Matryoshka”, a most Slavic name for such a Mexican Pearl…but once you see its shape you understand why I named it this way. It has the most intense Aubergine color I have seen in years…

Will continue adding updates as the harvest proceeds…

The Dental Identification System or “Tooth Test”

The reason why it is called the “Tooth Test” is because it uses your teeth as the main source for confirmation. How can we apply it? Many people will say that the pearl should be “bitten” gently between the pre-molars, yet others say it should be gently bitten with the canines or the incisors (or front teeth) and yet others state that the pearl should be rubbed on the incisors. Which is the correct method?

The best way to do this test -in our experience- is by holding the pearl between your fingers and then rubbing it against one of your upper teeth (incisors), near the area in contact with the soft tissue (gums) of the mouth, but not above nor on top of this tissue (I forgot to mention that it is essential that the user’s teeth must be clean). We will use a slow sideways movement (see diagram) of the pearl upon the tooth, do this slowly and applying some pressure or force upon the tooth, since we want the pearl in intimate contact with the tooth. What are we going to feel? One effect we will notice will be a “gritty/sandy” sensation, as if we were scratching a blackboard (remember how your teachers would do that?). As sound travels through our teeth and bones, it is even possible to hear a faint “scratching/rasping” sound.

What if the pearl is false? Depends on the imitation. For example, if the fake or imitation pearl is of the economical (or “cheap”) variety, it will feel very light (not heavy) and, when the tooth test is applied it would feel smooth. But in other types of imitations -such as with “Shell-Pearls”- the weight of the “pearl” would be heavier against your tooth (the interior of this imitation is a kind of ceramic), but the “pearl” will feel smooth and no scratching/grating will be felt on your dental piece.

Now, how about a “Majorica pearl”? Ah! Excellent question, because this is the most common imitation available. Well, this so-called “pearl” would have a “good weight” -similar to that of a pearl due to its glass-bead core- and may also yield a “scratching/grating” sound. In this way it will feel “rough”, similar to a real pearl. But is the “Mallorca Pearl” a real pearl then? No, this is not evidence enough, there are many other tests available (see the entry of “The Myths of Pearl and Oyster # 4“), but these imitations are indeed trying to imitate a pearl in the best way possible.

But in order to understand the scratching/grating upon the tooth when we use this test, we have to go to a place we have not really examined in detail: the pearl’s surface. With the help of a microscope … we will find apparent so far.

Pearls -the vast majority- have a sort of “fingerprint” on its surface. This is known as the “spiral pattern, and formed several different spiral types, depending on the species of oyster that forms the pearl: each type of pearl could be distinguishable from another just by comparing their spirals, almost in the way we compare Human fingerprints today. Unfortunately it is difficult to obtain these images without the aid of a microscope (100 magnification at least), but the attached image can help us understand better.

Now, we’ve talked about the spirals because this is very important in order to understand what happens when we have the pearl-tooth interaction.

Let us understand some of the features in our teeth: they have an uneven surface and they are coated with a bio-enamel known as “dentin” and this material is much stronger than the pearl’s nacre (dentin has a hardness of 5.0 on the Mohs scale, while the pearl has a hardness between 2.5 and 4.0 Mohs). So, in essence, what we do when we rub a pearl against our tooth is that we ARE scratching the pearl’s surface: the tooth’s uneven surface violently scratches the pearl’s spirals. Yes, this bad method  of pearl identification will damage our pearls and will actually lower their value.

But now, why does the “Majorica Pearl” have a response similar to that of a real pearl? Again, you have to go where we can not easily see: the surface of these imitations. Unfortunately I don’t own a digital microscope to take pictures of these imitations, but let me use the following picture to explain the phenomenon: the image of the left (photo credit) is dry mud/clay. Rapid drying of the humidity in the mud allowed the surface crack or flake , giving rise to these marks or stitches. And what does this have to do with an imitation pearl like the “Majorica Pearl”? Well, these imitations are made by applying several thin coats of varnish/lacquer/paint some or all which are UV treated in order to dry them up quickly, and the paint ends up having a similar texture as that of the paint, allowing for the effect of roughness or grittiness…similar to that of the spirals on a pearl.

Now what does all this mean to you? Basically, you that you CAN NOT trust the famous “tooth test” because:

• If you use it on a valuable pearl,you will cause some damage on it and you will lower its value.
• If you use it on some imitations, you may identify an imitation pearl as a pearl.
• If you own polished pearls, you may confuse them with imitation pearls.

So how can you identify a pearl correctly ? For there are many different ways … and we will write about these practical methods in the near future.